3D GIS Semi-automatized Modelling Procedure for the Conservation of the PHiM: Heritage Municipal Buildings of Seville (Spain). A New Dimension for Urban Cultural Data Management

Abstract

This research explores the possibilities resulting from the use of three-dimensional (3D) models designed in GIS environments for their application to the management and conservation of historical architectonic heritage. This 3D modelling work is one of the strategic actions of the recently finished Master Plan for Conservation of Heritage Municipal Buildings (PD-PHiM) for the City of Seville (Spain). This plan deals with the analysis of a group of 115 municipally owned buildings of high heritage interest that include different typologies, chronologies scales, and uses. This investigation has complemented and continued the initial work begun by the Seville Spatial Data Infrastructure (ide.SEVILLA) in the field of 3D mapping of urban environments and its publication as institutional open data. The implemented improvements started on an initial diagnosis of a preliminary urban model, which reached a level of detail (LOD) of 2, as defined by the CityGML standard, in only 20% of the registered assets in the PD-PHiM database. The proposed methodology has achieved the automation of most of the process of building 3D geo-referenced models to increase the percentage of assets that reach the LOD2 to 75%. The initial information comes from the use of institutional spatial data of different types and sources: Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), Spanish Cadastre Office, and so on. Additionally, the generated entities have been linked to a complex, multidisciplinary and multiscale database, designed within the framework of the strategic actions of the PD-PHiM. The contributions of the proposal, especially in the automation of processes, imply a considerable saving of resources in comparison with other methods in which the modelling is eminently carried out manually. Thus, they are complementary to those that are related to the use of 3D modelling software intended for other purposes, with the consequent incompatibilities and hard interoperability procedures with GIS environments that this implies.

NDT spatial data integration for monumental buildings: technical information management for the Royal Alcazar of Seville

“…It should be borne in mind that the accuracy provided by the new digital tools and the 3D models generally require the availability of human, material and economic resources. When this circumstance is unfeasible, it is considered necessary to propose automatic (Swaileh et al, 2022) and semi-automatic procedures (Hidalgo-Sánchez et al, 2022). Consequently, this research assumes such an approach, and relies on the knowledge structures proposed and validated in previously cited investigations.…”

“…In the case of the 3D features, the modelling process is specific to each ULA (Figure 10). The features of ULA-0 and ULA-1 have been obtained through a semi-automatic modelling procedure following the methodology proposed by Hidalgo- Sánchez et al (2022). This consists of using open data (in the form of files of clouds of points captured with LiDAR sensors from public Spanish institutions and 2D vectorial cadastral data) to obtain the LOD2 1 model of the RAS, which is enough to contain the information corresponding to these ULAs.…”

Digitalization and Spatial Documentation of Post-Earthquake Temporary Housing in Central Italy: An Integrated Geomatic Approach Involving UAV and a GIS-Based System

“…To facilitate research and practical applications in spatial, urban, and architectural planning, the authors developed C++ software capable of handling LoD1 models [54]. More current proposals address methods for the agile modelling of heritage environments in LOD2, using GIS software [55]. Compared to previous studies, the present work aims to improve the spatial knowledge of temporary housing solutions at various levels using UAV data surveys.…”

Evaluation of Open Geotechnical Knowledge in Urban Environments for 3D Modelling of the City of Seville (Spain)

“…The city covers an area of 140.80 km 2 , at an average height above sea level of 7 metres and a flat topography generally characterised by the following environmental hazards: seismic events [28], flooding [29], expansive strata layers, subsidence [30], and subsoil contamination [31]. The city is also acknowledged for its built heritage, and hosts a UNESCO World Heritage Site [32] and significant archaeological remains [33]. The current development of new metro lines also deserves mention-all this with the background of the geotechnical problems experienced in the city during the construction of Metro Line 1 in the first decade of the 20th century [34].…”